Einhell TC-MS 2112 Compound Mitre Saw Review

The Einhell TC-MS 2112 mitre saw is much more compact compared with the huge Metabo KGS216M. It’s got a much smaller bed and the frame has lots of cutouts to reduce the weight. It also uses a slightly smaller 210 mm blade that has 48 teeth on the business end. It doesn’t feature a slide-out section which helps to keep its footprint to a minimum. It’s an ideal saw if you don’t have a lot of space to work in.

Like the rest of the mitre saws on my list, it’s single bevel only and can reach a maximum mitre angle of 0° – 45° and a bevel of -45° – 45°. Unlike the other saws on my list, you can’t extend the angle by a couple of degrees on the bevel or mitre to account for odd angles though. Having these extra couple of degrees can be really helpful in real-life situations when nothing is ever straight!

Setting the mitre angle on this saw isn’t difficult but it’s more of a pain compared with the DeWalt DWS774, for example. Instead of a locking handle on the front side of the saw, all adjustments are made by moving the front handle. To lock the mitre angle in place you need to tighten a small screw behind the fence, which is a fiddle compared with other quick release handles.

The mitre bed does have positive stops every 5° but does away with that to account for the 22.5° position. They’re not the most positive stops though, and you find yourself clicking past your target angle too often. This locking system is also too slow for anyone that knows they’re going to change the angle all the time.

The other issue I had was that no matter how hard I tightened down the fastener to set the mitre angle in place, it would still move. It works a little better compared with the Evolution R210CMS, but it’s still a faulty part that doesn’t seem fit for purpose. If you can’t lock in an angle, it’s not a very good mitre saw!

Locking in the tilt angle on the TC-MS 2112 is a much more straightforward operation. Compared with the Metabo KGS216M, Einhell haven’t tried to use a clever locking handle but one that works and makes sense instantly! It’s just a shame that the angle markings aren’t that clear on it.

Seeing as the saw arm doesn’t have a slide-out section, the maximum cut size is limited compared with the Bosch GCM8SJL or DeWalt DWS774. The maximum capacity is a tiny 120 x 55 mm, enough to chop up small bits of timber but not enough for much else. It depends on what your needs are, but I would prefer to have a saw that can tackle a bit more on a single cut.

You don’t get any cutting guide features on this saw. Einhell haven’t included a laser or work light. I could probably do without the laser on most saws, but a work light is incredibly helpful. If you’re lucky enough to always work in brightly lit areas then it’s not a problem, otherwise, this is a sorely missed feature.

Einhell have managed to sidestep the problem that the Evolution and Metabo saws had with their wobbly two-part fences. They’ve simply made the fence much lower where the blade could meet it. That means you can’t chop into the fence accidentally, and it’s a really solid and straight surface to work with.

It’s not so great that they haven’t drilled holes into the fence at the factory. Having these holes means you can extend the fence out much wider or create a sacrificial fence to make your life easier and avoid some tear-out. If you wanted to do this, you’d need to drill your own holes.

On either end of the saw bed there are two holes that accept the work table extensions. Made simply from two pieces of “U” shaped steel, they do the job and sit at the right height. They’re ideal for extending the work table and can be extended out far enough to accommodate longer bits of timber.

Weighing in at just over 7.2 kg, this is a lightweight and easily portable mitre saw. There’s a chunky plastic carry handle on the top, which makes one-handed carrying possible. I prefer to pick it up in both hands using the table extensions for more balance though. It would be easy to load this saw in and out of a car or carry it up some stairs without help.

Even though it’s heavier compared to the Evolution R210CMS, somehow, they’ve used more plastic in the construction. Where the Evolution had a cast aluminium blade guard and chunky plastic controls, the Einhell has a plastic blade guard and flimsy controls. I’m sure these parts will last long enough with normal use; I wouldn’t want to drop this saw and find out what’s broken.

To be able to lower the blade down to the work, you need to disengage the safety lever. Unfortunately, this is a rather fragile piece of black plastic that is held in place by a tiny spring. I’m sure this piece will last long enough for the casual DIYer, but how long would it last with heavy use?

Einhell have included a dust bag to the saw, but just like all the other dust collection bags in the world, it doesn’t do a lot. It’s not the bag’s fault, just that without proper dust extraction there’s nothing dragging the dust into the bag. You do get a bit of dust in there after a cut, but it’s a token amount and there’s a lot more on the saw table and everywhere else.

First things first: how well setup is this saw from the factory, and if it needs adjusting, how easy is it to do?

What really impressed me about the Einhell TC-MS 2112 is that it was set up almost perfectly from the factory! Using my trust engineer’s square, I checked the fence and the blade at 0° and 45° on both the tilt and mitre and they were almost spot on. Not bad for a budget saw.

Even though the saw was set right, I still had a go at adjusting the fence, bevel, and mitre angle indicator. The fence adjusts with a single hex head bolt in a slightly oversized hole on both sides of the blade.

All you do is use the included hex key to loosen the bolt a touch, then gently adjust the fence until it’s square. Simple, easy to do, and effective. Adjusting the tilt is just as straightforward, two hex head bolts sit on either side of the blade arm and act as stops. A couple of turns with the hex key and everything was sitting plumb and true. Fantastic!

I was also quite pleased with how well this little saw got through my pieces of CLS. Like the Evolution, the simple up and down motion of the blade arm is simple but still comfortable to use. And seeing as this saw has a big motor, it made short work of all the timber I put through it.

Einhell have installed a 1,600 Watt motor in the TC-MS 2112 that spins the blade up to an impressive 5,000 rpm. It’s packing a more powerful motor than the DeWalt DWS774-GB, but still manages to weigh less and take up less space.

After testing the saw out, it was clear that the big motor is more than capable of cutting whatever you put in front of it. It doesn’t slow down or struggle when slicing through CLS timber, so that’s impressive for this budget bit of kit.

If there’s one thing that the Einhell TC-MS 2112 excels at, it’s noise power! Coming in at a whopping 110 dB that’s equivalent to a car horn at 1 m away, it’s the loudest saw on my list behind theBosch GCM8SJL. It’s probably something to do with the large motor on this little saw. It’s not a good idea to run this without wearing proper ear defenders.

I wouldn’t dream of running a mitre saw without proper ear protection, especially when a saw is rated for this noise level. You could do permanent damage to your hearing otherwise. Even though there’s no such thing as a silent chop saw, the extra noise that comes out of this tool might be too much for some neighbours.

I can’t fault the safety features on this saw if you’re gentle with them. You can’t operate without disengaging the safety lever, but it’s a rather thin piece of plastic that I’d worry would break off with heavy use. The instruction manual goes into detail about how to safely operate the saw. It’s a shame that they haven’t included any diagrams to aid with safe usage.

My only real safety concern with the TC-MS 2112 is the plastic blade guard. It feels a bit flimsy and wobbles if you push it with your finger. I don’t doubt that it will stop bits of timber from flying around, but I doubt it would survive a few drops or knocks. The problem is that when safety guards break, some users are tempted to carry on working with the tool.

If you follow all the safety instructions and wear the correct level of personal protective equipment (PPE), you should be safe when using this saw. Always secure loose articles of clothing and hair, never operate a power tool without proper eye and ear protection, and never let your hands get within 10 cm of the spinning blade.

This saw sits firmly at the budget end of my list of tools. It’s not as much of a bargain as the Evolution R210CMS though, so if budget is your number one concern this saw might lose out.

However, in this price range, the TC-MS 2112 is still a capable saw. It’s better performing than one of the no-name budget brands out there and comes with better support from the Einhell customer service team. The included 47 tooth blade seems to be good quality as well, although it leaves a slightly wider kerf than some of the other saws on my list.

The Einhell TC-MS 2112 Compound Mitre Saw is a bargain buy for any casual DIYer that doesn’t need lots of extras on their saw. If you’re only cutting timber and you don’t need a multi-material blade, it’s hard to go wrong here. However, if you want to cut odd angles over 45° on either the bevel or mitre, you’ll have trouble.

I need to take away marks for the lack of work light or other cutting guidance. They’re pretty basic upgrades that can make the difference between a right and wrong cut after all. On the plus side, this saw is nice and light and I can carry it easily enough in one hand.

Overall, then, I can’t say this is a saw I would go out and buy for myself. The capacity is OK for small pieces of timber but maxing out at 120 mm means you’ll need to flip the workpiece quite often. There’s nothing wrong with plastic bits and pieces on a saw, but they need to be a bit more robust than what’s on the Einhell to make me confident it’s a tool that’s going to last the distance.

This is a fine saw for someone who isn’t demanding too much. If you’re doing rough work and accuracy isn’t a priority, it’ll serve you fine. It’s just not up to trade-level standards.

READ NEXT:

• Best Circular Saw Review
• Best Mini Circular Saw Review
• Best Table Saw Review
• Best Jigsaw Review
• Best Reciprocating Saw Review
• Best Band Saw Review
• Best Dust Extractor Review

INDIVIDUAL MITRE SAW REVIEWS:

• DeWalt DWS774 Sliding Mitre Saw
• Bosch Professional GCM8SJL Sliding Mitre Saw
• Evolution R210CMS Compound Mitre Saw
• Metabo KGS216M Sliding Mitre Saw